Microscopical Essays* 3 ^ 



Larger obje&s require a different procefs ; they fliould be 

 placed in a fmall trough of thin wood; the bottom of a common 

 chip box will anfwer very well, by furrounding the edge of it 

 with foft wax, to keep in the water or fpirit of wine. The infecl 

 is then to be opened, and if the parts are foft Jike thofe of a 

 caterpillar, they fliould be turned back and fixed to the trough 

 by fmall pins ; the pins are to be fet by a pair of fmall nippers : 

 the fkin being ftretched at the fame inftant by another pair of 

 finer forceps, the infect mull then be placed in water, and di£ 

 feezed therein, and after two or three days it fhould be covered 

 with fpirits of wine, which fliould be renewed occafionally ; by 

 this means the fubjeel: is preferved in perfection, and it's parts 

 may be gradually unfolded, without any other change being 

 perceived than that the foft elaftic parts become ft iff and opake? 

 and fome others lofe their colour. 



M. Lyonet ufed the following inftruments in his curious di'f- 

 feclioh of the chenille de faule. As fmall a pair of fciflars as 

 could be made, the arms long and fine ; a fmall and {harp knife, 

 the end brought to a point ; a pair of forceps, the ends of which 

 had been fo adjufted, that they would eafily lay hold of a fpi- 

 der's thread or a grain of fand. But the moil ufeful inftruments 

 were two fine fteel needles, fixed in fmall wooden handles, about 

 2 1 of an inch in length. 



An obfervation of Dr. Hooke's may be very ufeful, if attended 

 to, for fixing objeds intended to be defigned by the microfcope. 

 He found no creature more troublefome to draw than the ant or 

 pifmire, not being able to get the body quiet in a natural poflure. 

 If, when alive, it's feet were fettered with wax or glue, it would 



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